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Rash defeats Koivuniemi twice to win his seventh PBA title in World Bowling Tour Thailand

2013 World Bowling Tour #14

Singapore's Dahne Tan finishes fourth to win the women's ranking in Bangkok; the men's field for the World Bowling Tour Finals will include Rash, Koivuniemi and Mike Fagan

In an all-PBA finale, reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash (pictured left), United States, defeated two-time PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 235-225 and 245-228, to win the World Bowling Tour Thailand event Monday at Blu-O Paragon bowling center inside the Siam Paragon Shopping Mall in Bangkok.

Rash received the one million Baht top prize (approx. $32,140) and earned his seventh career PBA title and the second international title of the 2012-2013 PBA/WBT season after his victory in the Kuwait Open in March 2013.

Koivuniemi, who earned the No. 1 seed for the eight-player stepladder finals, had to be defeated twice to win the title. Rash was down by 14 pins heading into the last two frames of the first game, but struck out to win the game by ten pins and to force a deciding game.

Both players were tied after six frames at 139. Koivuniemi, who was looking for his 12 career PBA title and back-to-back World Bowling Tour title after winning the 11th Columbia 300 Vienna Open earlier this month, alternated spares and strikes in the last four frames. Rash reeled off four consecutive strikes to win the game and the match, 245-228. Koivuniemi (right) earned $16,070 for his second-place finish.

In the opening match of the stepladder finals, Phoemphun Yakasem of Thailand, who earned his berth into the stepladder by finishing as the best Thai bowler in 9th place, defeated No. 7 Kim Young Kwan of Korea and No. 6, one-time PBA champion Ryan Ciminelli, United States, 256-211-193. Kwan received $2,732 for seventh place and Ciminelli got $2,572 for eighth place.

In the second three-player shootout match, Yakasem (169) and No. 4 seed, four-time PBA champion Mike Fagan (182), United States, fell to Hong Kong national team member Michael Mak (238). Fagan and Yakasem pocketed $3,214 and $2,893 for fifth and sixth place, respectively.

Mak (left) went on to defeat the lone woman in the top 8, Singapore national team member Daphne Tan, who received eight pins handicap. Mak flew past Tan, 258-211, to set up a semifinal match against Rash. Tan slipped one spot to fourth place, worth $6,428.

Rash struck on seven of his first nine shots in the semifinal, while Mak managed only to double in sixth and seventh frame, to put the match away well before the final frame, 242-219. Mak took home $9,642 for third place.

The field for the World Bowling Tour Finals, which will be conducted during the PBA World Series of Bowling V at South Point in Las Vegas on Nov. 3, will include WBT point ranking leader Rash, 2011 winner Koivuniemi and Fagan.

The race for the top three berths in the field was up for grabs heading into the WBT Thailand event, but contenders Tommy Jones, 2012 WBT Men's champion Chris Barnes, United States, and Australia's Jason Belmonte did not compete in the final event of the 2012-13 WBT season and therefore the top 3 remained unchanged.

WBT Thailand - Round 4

The top 7 plus the best local bowler (9th place Phoemphun Yakasem) advance to the Stepladder Finals.

Pos

Player

Country

G1

G2

G3

G4

G5

G6

Pins

Avg.

Hc

Total

1.

Mika Koivuniemi

Finland

215

215

279

246

224

236

1415

235.83

1415

2.

Sean Rash

United States

197

256

216

258

224

256

1407

234.50

1407

3.

Daphne Tan (f)

Singapore

247

226

222

192

245

219

1351

225.17

48

1399

4.

Mike Fagan

United States

258

257

176

222

244

238

1395

232.50

1395

5.

Michael Mak

Hong Kong

225

224

231

205

254

224

1363

227.17

1363

6.

Ryan Ciminelli

United States

194

206

258

213

254

226

1351

225.17

1351

7.

Kim Young Kwan

Korea

200

193

269

255

197

227

1341

223.50

1341

8.

Osku Palermaa

Finland

214

221

234

256

214

201

1340

223.33

1340

9.

Phoemphun Yakasem

Thailand

235

187

187

269

206

237

1321

220.17

1321

10.

Cherie Tan (f)

Singapore

173

268

170

236

199

184

1230

205.00

48

1278

11.

Kim Bolleby

Sweden

246

116

223

233

201

259

1278

213.00

1278

12.

Yannaphon Larp-apharat

Thailand

222

213

214

214

178

236

1277

212.83

1277

13.

Phumin Klanbida

Thailand

219

233

221

193

216

186

1268

211.33

1268

14.

Wu Siu Hong

Hong Kong

176

246

204

206

208

224

1264

210.67

1264

15.

New Hui Fen (f)

Singapore

185

225

201

182

208

207

1208

201.33

48

1256

16.

Hussain Al-Suwaidi

UAE

211

235

196

226

172

215

1255

209.17

1255

17.

Peerawich Rungcharoen

Thailand

204

198

192

206

238

217

1255

209.17

1255

18.

Atittarat Cheng

Thailand

186

207

192

238

174

221

1218

203.00

1218

19.

Geraldine Ng (f)

Singapore

133

224

197

212

202

183

1151

191.83

48

1199

20.

Sithiphol Kunaksorn

Thailand

178

192

233

199

176

189

1167

194.50

1167

¬†

WBT Thailand - Round 3

The top 12 advance to the fourth round.

Pos

Player

Country

G1

G2

G3

G4

G5

G6

Pins

Avg.

Hc

Total

1.

Ryan Ciminelli

United States

247

253

244

216

172

246

1378

229.67

1378

2.

Peerawich Rungcharoen

Thailand

200

277

199

221

244

227

1368

228.00

1368

3.

Michael Mak

Hong Kong

178

227

225

209

288

207

1334

222.33

1334

4.

Wu Siu Hong

Hong Kong

257

215

215

237

196

214

1334

222.33

1334

5.

Geraldine Ng (f)

Singapore

185

268

195

199

193

203

1243

207.17

48

1291

6.

Atittarat Cheng

Thailand

225

203

195

247

188

223

1281

213.50

1281

7.

Cherie Tan (f)

Singapore

214

191

194

248

203

181

1231

205.17

48

1279

8.

New Hui Fen (f)

Singapore

175

192

219

241

200

202

1229

204.83

48

1277

9.

Sithiphol Kunaksorn

Thailand

235

200

249

179

194

217

1274

212.33

1274

10.

Phoemphun Yakasem

Thailand

190

207

248

222

222

183

1272

212.00

1272

11.

Kim Young Kwan

Korea

231

223

205

217

192

202

1270

211.67

1270

12.

Hussain Al-Suwaidi

UAE

214

205

216

182

237

212

1266

211.00

1266

13.

Alex Liew

Malaysia

277

205

181

215

188

192

1258

209.67

1258

14.

Angkana Netrviseth (f)

Thailand

224

191

179

211

192

202

1199

199.83

48

1247

15.

Mohd Amirul Shah

Malaysia

223

225

209

213

195

181

1246

207.67

1246

16.

Jazreel Tan (f)

Singapore

236

215

173

222

159

185

1190

198.33

48

1238

17.

Surasak Manuwong

Thailand

195

198

227

198

224

195

1237

206.17

1237

18.

Badin Lerdpiriyasakulkit

Thailand

209

204

152

166

243

257

1231

205.17

1231

19.

Bernice Lim (f)

Singapore

164

172

197

217

227

201

1178

196.33

48

1226

20.

Hengki

Indonesia

212

194

173

257

165

221

1222

203.67

1222

21.

Noor Afizal Azizan

Malaysia

202

211

211

204

168

223

1219

203.17

1219

22.

Ryan Lalisang

Indonesia

232

171

203

191

194

225

1216

202.67

1216

23.

Dominic Barrett

England

227

211

176

215

171

181

1181

196.83

1181

24.

Atchariya Cheng

Thailand

179

178

247

222

189

162

1177

196.17

1177

25.

Michael Tsang

Hong Kong

212

190

176

224

161

210

1173

195.50

1173

26.

Kang Bo Long

Malaysia

175

208

221

151

151

236

1142

190.33

1142

¬†

WBT Thailand - Round 2

The top 10 advance to the third round.

Pos

Player

Country

G1

G2

G3

G4

G5

G6

Pins

Avg.

Hc

Total

1.

New Hui Fen (f)

Singapore

197

204

193

222

255

222

1293

215.50

48

1341

2.

Bernice Lim (f)

Singapore

222

224

182

270

195

187

1280

213.33

48

1328

3.

Peerawich Rungcharoen

Thailand

225

224

223

188

221

238

1319

219.83

1319

4.

Wu Siu Hong

Hong Kong

204

214

234

244

167

204

1267

211.17

1267

5.

Hussain Al-Suwaidi

UAE

237

182

257

160

228

198

1262

210.33

1262

6.

Phoemphun Yakasem

Thailand

194

247

210

203

204

204

1262

210.33

1262

7.

Atchariya Cheng

Thailand

182

256

173

206

215

217

1249

208.17

1249

8.

Kang Bo Long

Malaysia

225

204

189

235

198

194

1245

207.50

1245

9.

Atittarat Cheng

Thailand

221

186

227

180

194

233

1241

206.83

1241

10.

Noor Afizal Azizan

Malaysia

220

202

243

201

190

181

1237

206.17

1237

11.

Isaac Russell

Malaysia

178

205

258

188

201

195

1225

204.17

1225

12.

Sivakorn Kritslunon

Thailand

213

236

132

205

220

205

1211

201.83

1211

13.

Rickle Kam

Hong Kong

214

213

233

141

184

204

1189

198.17

1189

14.

Tevakorn Angngen

Thailand

233

188

159

212

216

152

1160

193.33

1160

15.

Craig Nevatt

New Zealand

200

152

237

199

181

189

1158

193.00

1158

16.

Saharat Piyasakunchai

Thailand

176

202

204

178

177

189

1126

187.67

1126

17.

Hamad Khalifa Al-Mosallam

Qatar

162

180

156

182

193

209

1082

180.33

1082

18.

Zakareya Al-Zaqori

Qatar

167

156

194

200

188

175

1080

180.00

1080

¬†

WBT Thailand - Round 1 (Qualifying)

Total 42 players advance to the finals. The top 7 plus the top local bowler (seeded 8th) earn two byes. The next local bowler (seeded 9th) plus qualifiers 10-24 receive one bye. Qualifiers 25-38 plus another two local bowlers (seeded 39 & 40th) and the top 2 of the Desperado Squad (places 41 & 42) advance to second round.